Video Vault: The world of Wes

Friday

Nov 27, 2009 at 12:01 AMNov 27, 2009 at 1:25 PM

With “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” Wes Anderson’s latest (and, I’m guessing, strangest) movie arriving in theaters this week, it seems like a fine time to look back on the career of this strikingly individual filmmaker. So, before you check out the stop-motion animals of “Fox,” here are the movies he made starring actual, honest-to-goodness humans.

Will Pfeifer

With “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” Wes Anderson’s latest (and, I’m guessing, strangest) movie arriving in theaters this week, it seems like a fine time to look back on the career of this strikingly individual filmmaker. So, before you check out the stop-motion animals of “Fox,” here are the movies he made starring actual, honest-to-goodness humans.

“Bottle Rocket” (1996) introduced the world to Anderson and his actor Owen Wilson (who co-wrote the movie). Owen plays an offbeat guy who convinces his friends (real-life brother Luke Wilson and Robert Musgrave) to embark on a life of haphazard crime. Naturally, everything goes wrong, but Owen Wilson gives a genuine star-making performance. In the wake of hundreds of “Pulp Fiction” rip-offs, this gentle, heartfelt comedy stood out in a refreshing way.

“Rushmore” (1998) also featured a script written with Owen Wilson and a small-but-memorable performance from brother Luke. All the good things in “Bottle Rocket” were refined to perfection in this comedy about a determined prep school student (Jason Schwartzman) who becomes friends — then rivals — with a despondent businessman (Bill Murray). Visually intricate and flawlessly paced, it’s a true gem. It’s not only one of Anderson’s finest films, buts it’s one of the best movies of the 1990s.

“The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001) expanded on “Rushmore’s” scope to depict a near-mythical family of failed prodigies living in an equally mythical version of New York City. Gene Hackman (who clashed with perfectionist Anderson during filming) gave a great performance as the egomaniacal patriarch, and he gets strong support from Angelica Huston, Danny Glover, Murray, Owen Wilson (who again co-wrote) and, as the prodigies, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson and Gwyneth Paltrow.

“The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” (2004) ended the critical community’s love affair with Anderson — and I’m not sure why. Sure, the story of a Jacques Cousteau-inspired explorer trying to avenge his friend’s death was offbeat (even for Anderson), but it managed to bring all his usual themes together — unending childhood, father issues, the big sleep — in an exotic location with some truly amazing visuals (including a cross-section of Zissou’s ship). Plus, as a bonus, there’s a pirate attack and stop-motion fish.

If “Zissou” was the Wes Anderson movie people didn’t like, “The Darjeeling Limited” (2007) was the movie they didn’t see. It lacks the zip of previous efforts, but its story of three brothers — Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Schwartzman — traveling to India after the death of their father combines tragedy and comedy in a way Anderson hadn’t tried before.

Will Pfeifer writes about DVDs for the Rockford Register Star on Saturdays. Contact him at wpfeifer@rrstar.com or 815-987-1244. Read his blog at blogs.e-rockford.com/movieman/..

From the vault: The other Anderson

The same year “Bottle Rocket” hit theaters, another guy named Anderson made his debut. Other than that, Paul Thomas and Wes have nothing in common — except that they’re two of the best directors working today.

“Hard Eight” (1996): P.T. Anderson was unhappy with the studio’s cut of this movie, but it’s a sharply written, sharply acted look at gambling, families and bad, bad situations. And it introduces two of Anderson’s regulars, John C. Reilly and Philip Baker Hall.

“Boogie Nights” (1997): Anderson hit the big time with this epic look at the adult film industry of the 1970s and 1980s. Funny, tragic, violent and touching, it was one of the best movies of the 1990s.

“Magnolia” (1999): Originally planned as a small, simple film to follow the beast that was “Boogie Nights,” it became a three-hour meditation on life, death, fate, faith, game shows and frogs.

“Punch Drunk Love” (2002): Here was that small, simple film. It revealed that, if he works with strong director, Adam Sandler is an impressive actor.

“There Will Be Blood” (2008): And speaking of impressive actors, Anderson gives one of the best — Daniel Day Lewis — a juicy role to sink his talented teeth into. It’s no wonder he won an Oscar. Why didn’t the movie?

Fire at Will: Which movie went up the Matterhorn?

Paul Legge of Rockford, Ill., remembers a movie he saw at a local theater sometime in the late 1950s or early 1960s. The plot involved a group trying to scale the Matterhorn and a boy who wanted to join them but had to stay home because he was too young. In the end, the boy helped them get down safely and became the hero. “I can still remember the music that was playing in the end when they are returning to the village,” Legge writes, but he can’t remember the title.

Paul, I think the movie you remember is “Third Man on the Mountain,” a 1959 Disney film where James MacArthur plays a boy who dreams of climbing the mountains around his Swiss home — including the Matterhorn. It’s available on DVD.

Do you have a question for Movie Man Will Pfeifer? Send it to wpfeifer@rrstar.com. Put “Fire at Will” in the subject line, and I’ll do my best to answer it in this column. Please include your full name, city of residence and daytime phone number (which isn’t for publication).

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